Arroyo named assistant principal at GIHS

by Kathy Duff
Grand Island Dispatch, August 10, 2007

Grand Island School Board members met Monday evening for a personnel appointment and for review of a variety of topics in a workshop session.

Appointed in executive session as assistant principal at Grand Island High School was Andres Rafael Arroyo, currently summer school principal at the high school and full-time Spanish 9-12 teacher at Williamsville North High School. Arroyo has been appointed as the second assistant building administrator at Grand Island High School, joining Christopher Swiatek who came on board after the 2006 retirement of William Miller. Superintendent Robert Christmann and the board of education had been voicing concern over getting adequate administration at the high school so that principal Sandra Anzalone would have more time to truly serve as “principal teacher.”

Arroyo is a Ph.D. student at the State University at Buffalo in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. He comes with a long list of permanent certifications, including school district administrator and school business administrator and supervisor.

In public session, board members and administrators discussed reviewing the way students are transported. “We want take a look at the whole spectrum of services so that we are not providing more for one school or segment over another,” Christmann said. Director of Transportation Jack Burns said regarding children on buses, concern for safety affects every decision he makes. He considers “not what will happen, but what can happen” and that consistency in scheduling, boarding and off-loading procedures and other variables is critical to keeping children safe. Burns also said statistics show that students are eight times safer riding on a school bus than in a family car.

On another topic, the board will be reviewing implementation of an expanded positive behavioral program in line with the successful Viking Values program at the middle school. Also, the district will look at how students are grouped at the high school. For example: Should students be separated out as levels 1, 2 and 3, and should the criteria for acceptance into Advanced Placement courses be made broader?

The next Board of Education meeting will be on Monday, Aug. 30, at 7 p.m. in high school Room 108.